Marchand D'or runs in France.

9/10 Fantasia, last chance for a bad weekend!

Hope springs eternal, Dave.

Happy Mothers day to all!

Uh oh. No go.

Fantasia third as Elusive Wave wins French 1,000


Report: France, Sunday

Longchamp: Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (Group 1) 1m, 3yo fillies

ELUSIVE WAVE lowered the colours of Fantasia and led home a Jean-Claude Rouget-trained one-two, when making all to win at Longchamp on Sunday.

Bookmaker Victor Chandler reacted by immediately removing Fantasia from the Investec Oaks.

The former Richard Hannon-trained filly was bounced straight into the lead from the stalls by jockey Christophe Lemaire, while Fantasia was rather sluggish before being rushed up to chase the leader by Frankie Dettori.

Dettori had Fantasia well placed to pounce off the home turn but came under pressure two furlongs out as Elusive Wave continued to travel well in the lead.

Stablemate Tamazirte emergedfrom the pack with a strong late run but could not catch Elusive Wave who still had half a length to spare at the line.

Rouget said: "What she did today is amazing. It is always hard to keep the lead here and Lemaire gave her a great ride. Tamazirte finished well but Elusive Wave has to get all the credit that she deserves."

Fantasia not below par in French 1,000 - Cumani


TRAINER Luca Cumani believes that Fantasia was eclipsed in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at Longchamp on Sunday simply because she was not good enough.

After choosing not to reoppose fellow George Strawbridge-owned filly Rainbow View in the Stanjames.com 1,000 Guineas in preference for the French equivalent, the impressive Nell Gwyn scorer could finish only third behind all-the-way winner Elusive Wave.

Initially Cumani was disappointed but upon reflection on Monday the trainer discovered that Fantasia ran to the best of her ability and praised Christophe Lemaire for his canny ride on the winner.

"She won the Nell Gwyn without being extended but obviously she was not up against the same calibre of fillies," said Cumani. "Analysing the race, she couldn't have won it whatever she did.

"The most important thing to say is that the filly that won is very good and was given an excellent ride from the front.

"The sectionals show they went very slow early on and them they sprinted three furlongs out.

"If they do 11 seconds a furlong from the front it is very difficult to make any ground up and she did just that. Horses have a speed limit and no matter how good you are you can't go faster than that.

"I don't agree with people who sayshe wasn't at her best, she couldn't run any faster, there was nothing anybody could have done about it.

"Frankie (Dettori) knew when he came in, he said 'it just didn't pan out, I knew they were going too slow in front but therewasn't much I could do'."

Cumani will now prepare Fantasia for a return to France for the Prix de Diane in the hope that a lesser class of contender will line-up.

"I think we'll have to go back to France for the Diane," he said. "That is a different kind of race because it is at Chantilly which has a longer straight and it is a stiffer track.

"I'm pretty sure the winner won't be there because she is off to the Coronationso it will be a different bunch of fillies and hopefully it will be run a different way."